Roman Republic - 6375 Words

Rome: Transition from Republic to Empire Paul A. Bishop Introduction________________________________________________ Since its collapse, historians have attempted to explain the struggle for power and control over both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire that followed. To explain the complexities of the Roman Republic, the Empire, and their political complexities can be a daunting task. For nearly ten centuries Rome would rule most of the known world before the fall of the Western Empire (Byzantine) in 476 C.E. Before that fall occurred, a fundamental change would take place that would transform the original Republic into the Roman Empire. Many factors would be directly and indirectly responsible for this transition. These would†¦show more content†¦By that time, the Republic had extended its control throughout the Mediterranean Sea and as far as Britain. That control would operate under an informal unwritten constitution, and establish the use of Latin as its official language, while codifying rights, responsibilities, and status under a written law. Beginning with the Law of the Twel ve Tables, Roman jurisprudence would develop over the next one thousand years into a legal system that would eventually become the early basis for law in continental Europe. Even English and North American â€Å"common law† owes more than a passing debt to the Romans. Case law and precedents find their roots in a Latin legal term, stare decisis, meaning â€Å" to stand by things decided†. The development of a written law was seen as a method of eliminating indiscriminant application of the law by magistrates and officials upon the lower plebeian class. The Assemblies The establishment of a written law set the foundation for a republican government whereby responsibilities and duties would be divided among various representative assemblies. Their members would in turn cast votes concerning the action to be taken in regard to the issues placed before them. Membership in these early assemblies would be limited by such things as class, income, family ties, and affiliations. The assemblies had various and specific functions within the Roman republicanShow MoreRelatedThe Roman Republic874 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Roman Republic was ruled over by some twenty families of Patricians , these families represented the upper crust of society, a society which prided itself on the continuation of the family line. This system was threatened by the ideology of novitas which people achieved glory not from there illustrious family history, but through merit. Cato the Elder and Gaius Marius were not born of noble stock and thus represent two of the best examples of novus homo in action. The Roman Republic s systemRead MoreRoman Republic And The Roman Empire1108 Words   |  5 PagesRoman Republic, one of the most famous republic in ancient time, established a form of government comprising three main parts: a few magistrates, a Senate, and several assemblies. Roman Republic was the period of ancient Roman civilization starting with the collapse of the Roman Kingdom in 509 BC, and ended in 27 BC with the founding of the Roman Empire. The government had representatives selected by citizen and ended because of the civil war between powerful generals including Antony and BrutusRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Republic1368 Words   |  6 PagesEssay- The Fall of the Roman Republic From the fall of the last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, in 509 BCE, to the beginning of the principate in 27 BCE, the Roman Republic thrived as a strong and relatively stable government. This was despite its two major issues that eventually led to its downfall- the class struggle between plebeians and patricians as well as the autonomy the military had that allowed for armies to become loyal to its commander rather than the Roman state. For centuriesRead MoreThe Battle Of The Roman Republic1741 Words   |  7 PagesAs the Roman Republic found its way into the third and second centuries BC, it could not have anticipated its level of military engagement nor the number of conflicts it would find itself in over the next two hundred years. A series of wars allowed the Roman Republic to consolidate power on the Italian peninsula, emerge as a major force in the Mediterranean area, and lay the groundwork for what eventually would become the Empire. The series of wars Rome fough t had profound impacts on the politicalRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Republic Essay2445 Words   |  10 PagesChalking up the fall of the Roman Republic to a decline in traditional Roman morality, while not false, sells the events and changes that were the causes for the fall of the Republic short. At the end of The Third Punic War with Carthage we arguably see the Republic at its height. However in only a decade things begin to change, we see events that send Rome as a Republic past a point that Rome could not recover. Gaius Marius’s military reforms, specifically that of allowing for the captive cencsiRead MoreThe Roman Republic878 Words   |  4 PagesSome policies and institutions of the Roman Republic were useful to help them succeed in conquering first Italy and then the Mediterranean world. Before of the institution of the republic, the romans were a monarchy since their beginning and they were basically a pastoral people. Rome suffer several changes and improvement s under the control of the Etruscan kings. The Etruscan were civilization settled north of Rome in Etruria, and they once had control over almost all the Italic peninsula. The EtruscansRead MoreThe Roman Republic1881 Words   |  8 Pages Before 59 BC, The Roman Republic existed as a vague and shadowy figure under our lens of understanding. Unfortunately for Rome, it lacked a driven storyteller that could effectively convey its stories of unfolding growth and success, as a newly conceived government. It was a collective air of distrust and hesitancy, instilled by the constant wavering and venality that had took root within Rome. Deprived of a capable historian, any forthcoming enlightenment from Rome could not be shared nor couldRead MoreJulius Caesar And The Fall Of The Roman Republic1122 Words   |  5 PagesTyler Boyer Coach Charb World History 9 June 2017 Julius Caesar and the fall of the Roman Republic Julius Caesar was one of if not the greatest ruler the Roman Republic has ever seen. He was born in 100 BC to Aurelia and Gaius Caesar. Although his family was hailed by Roman aristocrats, they were still very poor. When Julius Caesar was only 16 his father died. Rome was very unstable at this time, almost being in chaos. Around the time his father died Caesar decided to make an effort bringing backRead MoreThe Roman Republic961 Words   |  4 Pages1. The Roman Republic was a â€Å"democratic† republic, which allowed first citizens to vote, and to choose their governors in the senate (Hence, their consuls). However, it was a nation ruled by its aristocracy, and, consequently, the entire Republic`s power was concentrated in a few individuals. Furthermore, the Senate was controlled by Patricians, which directed the government by using wealth to buy control and power over the decisions of the senate and the consuls. This situation aroused the inconformityRead MoreThe Fall Of T he Roman Republic1745 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Tiberius and his brother Gaius were regarded in Roman tradition as the initiators of the revolution which led to the breakdown of the Republic.† (Roebuck, 1966:506) The fall of the Roman Republic occurred during the late second century BC and resulted in various leading figures emerging such as Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus. Tiberius Gracchus was largely responsible for creating and initiating a long term political crisis in Rome in the early first century through his land reformations and desire